Five Things to Do This September

Photo by Olivia Gündüz-Willemin.

September! September is here!

Autumn is the season of choice here at The Attic on Eighth, and there is possibly no moment where we feel as much excitement as the first of September. It is the beginning of a new season, with the promise of crisp air, crisp leaves, crisp apples, crisp pages… crisp new everything! The return of bearable weather, the exciting colors slowly saturating the sky as sunsets become more dramatic and the trees begin to turn. The publication of new seasonal books, the promises of untouched pages in brand new notebooks. The smell of newly-chopped firewood and freshly sharpened, number two pencils that take us back to our youths. For many, September is a return to school, but for most of us here, done with our degrees, it is simply a fresh start, a return to a beloved season and yes, our favorite aesthetics. We may not all be heading back to traditional studies, but the air is still charged with going back to our books, the finally fresh temperatures allowing us to sit down and open our minds after a much too hot summer. Ideas flood the air, and motivation bursts out after the stifling, lazy days of late summer. 

As we pull on our much-missed blazers and tie up our worn oxfords, here are five things we’re excited to do this September. 

ONE 

Set a goal. We may not be going back to school, but as our own Jessica Armstrong said in her post-graduation piece last month, graduation is not the end of your education. What better time than a crisp September morning to set a goal – decide that you want to research a topic you’ve been curious about, start a new hobby, or watch every film by your favorite director? Make learning fun but present. 

TWO 

Embrace the outdoors. Spring and summer may be seen as the outdoor seasons – the moments when you want to step outside after a long winter, indoors, but there’s no better moment to see the world than September, when temperatures have finally cooled but have yet to get cold and children are in school, freeing up all the places you may have wanted to visit over the summer, in your hometown or abroad. Take the day trips you skipped for the crowds. Go hiking. See a cow or two. Pick some apples. 

THREE

Cook for the season. Who cares if liking pumpkin-flavored things makes you basic? Embrace the joy it gives you and make the most of the season. Drink your pumpkin spice lattes, but also look at the seasonal produce September has to offer in order to enrich your meals, locally if you have access, too! Make a favorite pumpkin bread. Eat an apple a day. Pick up a couple of plums. Okra. Bell peppers. All kinds of beans. September has lots to give. 

FOUR

Make plans with friends. Sometimes the best thing about going back to school wasn’t so much for classes but to be reunited with your friends. As adults, we can get sucked into our everyday lives and forget to reach out beyond our inner circles. Reach out, text someone you haven’t seen in a while, send a card or a care package to a friend who’s moved away. Host a dinner party (with seasonal foods!) or meet for dinner at a favorite place. If big gatherings aren’t your thing, ease into it by meeting a friend for coffee. Or find a community activity you enjoy and take part. Socializing is a great way to learn new things.  

FIVE 

Let loose (but ease back into it)! It’s okay – September is here, summer is (mostly) over, and you can stop trying so hard to get along with summer. Get your autumn color palettes back out, light the candles you missed, and even get your cuddly book reading sessions back on with your favorite blankets, environment permitting. When you don’t really like summer, it’s easy to jump right into autumn with the first of September but to go a bit too far – stay away from wool sweaters and blazers and blankets until it actually cools down – stick to cotton, stick to linen – keep your body breathing. There’s plenty of time to embrace the season at its fullest. 

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Olivia Gündüz-Willemin is Editor-in-Chief of The Attic on Eighth. She is dedicated to reading her way through the world and trying to stay as calm as possible.